In a bid to eradicate sickle cell disease in Anambra state the Governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano, who spoke through his Commissioner for Health, Dr. Joe Akabuike has ordered that intending couples in the state who fail to screen for sickle cell syndrome before formalising their marriages would be punished.
In order to enforce this decree the government will partner with churches in the state because the churches usually plays a major role when couples want to get married. And any one who violates the order would be denied certain privileges from the state government.
This was stated in a ceremony to mark this year’s Sickle Cell Day in Awka, said it was part of the state government’s determination to eradicate sickle cell disease.
The governor added that his administration would implement to the letter the Sickle Cell law passed by the State House of Assembly in 2002, which made it mandatory for intending couples to verify their genotype before marriage.
He stated that involving the churches would ensure strict compliance to the law, adding that the state government would set up sickle cell clinics in the three senatorial districts of the state with state-of-the-art facilities.
He explained that people living with sickle cell disorder in the state would be treated without charge under a health insurance scheme that would be launched in the state.
“In the health insurance scheme, there is also a provision for free-of-charge mfchurchesulnerablechurchesulnerable, includinintendingliving with sickle cell disorder as our main target is to eradicate sickle cell anaemia completely in this stateaand that is why we are urging everybody to know his or her genotype,” Obiano said.
